U.S. Orders Departure of Non-Essential Staff from Iraq Amid Rising Tensions
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad confirmed Thursday that the ordered departure of non-essential personnel from Iraq includes staff at the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil, as regional tensions continue to escalate.
“The ordered departure is for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil,” an embassy spokesperson told Rudaw English.
The move follows a decision by the U.S. State Department on Wednesday to reduce its diplomatic mission in Iraq and evacuate non-emergency staff, citing safety concerns. Washington also updated its travel advisory, urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Iraq “for any reason.”
President Donald Trump stated that American personnel were being relocated from a potentially “dangerous” Middle East amid stalled negotiations with Iran over a new nuclear deal. The decision contributed to a rise in global oil prices.
The U.S. and Iran have held five rounds of Oman-mediated talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump abandoned in 2018. However, Trump expressed pessimism Wednesday about Iran’s willingness to halt uranium enrichment—a key U.S. demand.
Tensions have further intensified after the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution Thursday declaring Iran in “non-compliance” with nuclear safeguard obligations—the first such ruling in two decades. Iran condemned the resolution as “political” and announced plans to open a new uranium enrichment plant in a “secure location.”
Trump has repeatedly warned of military strikes if diplomacy fails, while speculation grows that Israel could target Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned Wednesday that Tehran would attack U.S. bases in the region if nuclear talks collapse and Iran faces military action.
Meanwhile, construction of the new U.S. Consulate General in Erbil—set to be the largest in the world—continues, with plans to open soon. The facility underscores Washington’s long-term strategic interests in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region despite the current drawdown.
